Fire.
Pure liquid fire shot down my throat and exploded in my chest. My eyes watered instantly, and I fought the urge to cough, barely managing to swallow. The burn spread through my entire torso like I'd been hit with a plasma charge at close range.
"Stars!" I wheezed, my voice coming out strangled. "What the hell is that?"
Clemon cackled with delight, slapping his knee. "That's the good stuff! Made from fermented tubers we grow right here. Puts hair on your chest, don't it?"
"Takes it off is more like it," I managed, still feeling the afterburn. My throat felt like I'd swallowed a small sun.
"You get used to it," Clemon said cheerfully, taking a swig from his own glass without so much as a flinch. "Second sip's always easier."
I handed the glass back, shaking my head. "I think I'll stick to Buck's amber ale, thanks."
"Suit yourself." He was still grinning. "But you ever need something with a real kick, you know where to find me."
I left him chuckling to himself, my throat still burning, and continued deeper into the market.
The crowd thickened as the afternoon wore on—families and others mingling between the stalls. I let myself drift, taking in the sights and sounds. Younglings chasing each other between booths. Couples browsing together. Old-timers arguing good-naturedly over the quality of someone's vegetables.
Then a scent stopped me in my tracks.
Sweet. Warm. Rich with butter and something fruity that made my mouth water instantly. It cut through the mingled smells of the market like a beacon, and my stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast.
At the stand in front of me, an older woman with flour-dusted hands was arranging what looked like hand pies in neat rows. She caught me sniffing and smiled.
"Smells good, doesn't it?" she said. "Can't take credit for it though. That's coming from my friend Ruby's place." She gestured vaguely to the left. "Best baker on the whole damn planet, if you ask me. And that's saying something, because I make a pretty fine pie myself."
"Ruby?" I asked, still half-distracted by that incredible smell.
"Ruby Greenlee. Sweetest thing you ever met, and twice as talented in the kitchen." The woman's eyes lit up with genuine affection. "She's going to be running the new Space Pearls location that's opening in a few months. They're lucky to have her."
She pointed past a cluster of shoppers to where I could just make out a bright yellow awning. "That's her stand right there. You've got to try one of her berry scones. Trust me on this—it'll change your life."
I thanked her and started making my way toward the yellow awning, weaving through the crowd. The scent grew stronger with each step, that perfect combination of buttery pastry and sweet fruit that promised something extraordinary.
But as I got closer, another scent hit me.
This one wasn't food. It was subtler, more personal. A fragrance I'd thought I'd never encounter again. Something floral with an undertone of spice, mixed with a scent that was achingly familiar. My skin prickled, every nerve suddenly alert. My pulse kicked up without permission, my body responding before my mind could catch up.
It couldn't be.
The yellow awning was just ahead now, and I spotted someone behind the counter—a woman with her back to me, helping a customer. Her hair was the color of spun gold, pulled into a loose bun, with a few tendrils escaping to kiss the delicate curve of her neck. She was laughing at something the customer said, her shoulders shaking slightly with the sound, and even that small movement sent a jolt of recognition through my chest.
My feet stopped moving. My heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to break free, and for a second, I couldn'tbreathe. Not from Clemon's rotgut, but from something far more dangerous.
She turned around, still smiling, reaching for something on the table in front of her.
And then she saw me.
The smile froze on her face. Her eyes went wide—those beautiful hazel eyes with green flecks I'd memorized in another lifetime—and the color drained from her cheeks. The world around us seemed to fall away. The noise of the market, the press of the crowd, everything faded to nothing but the space between us. For a long, suspended moment, we just stared at each other, and I felt the ground shift beneath my feet.
A face I thought I'd never see again. A face that haunted my dreams and waking hours alike. That I'd carried with me through every dark moment since we'd been torn apart.
It was her.
My mate.
Chapter 4
